Reverse vending apparatus are provided for receiving returnable articles and dispensing a value, i.e., a redeemable coupon or cash, in return. For example, beverage containers frequently carry a deposit price which is refunded upon return of the empty container to a merchant. Apparatus for automatically performing the refund operation are extremely useful to such merchants in that they reduce labor costs, usually automatically account for the articles taken in and the refunds dispensed, and usually crush or shred or otherwise compact the articles received thus diminishing storage space.
In order for the reverse vending apparatus to administer the proper refund price to the user, the apparatus must identify the source or origin of the article. Such apparatus are usually equipped with sophisticated electronic sensing devices for scanning the article submitted for refund, determining whether the article is properly returnable, and if properly returnable determining the amount of the refund. To assist in this task, the Universal Product Code (UPC) is utilized, as well as the shape of the article, its color, composition, the indicia on the label, along with any other identifying characteristic.
As a practical matter, the article must be rotated in view of the identifying device so that the entire exterior surface of the article is examined by the identifying device. The prior art has universally employed one or two adjacent cylindrical rollers, or wheels, to rotate the article. Examples of such prior art apparatus including cylindrical rollers may be had in U.S. Pat. No. 4,919,274 to Hammond, the inventor of the subject invention, issued Apr. 24, 1990, U.S. Pat. No. 4,248,389 to Thompson et al, issued Feb. 3, 1981, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,248,334 to Hanley et al, issued Feb. 3, 1981.
So long as the article being rotated has a high degree of concentricity about an axis, the prior art rollers work satisfactorily. However, it is frequently the case that an article will be submitted for refund that has been extensively deformed. For example, empty plastic or aluminum beverage containers are often returned in a semi-crushed condition. Nevertheless, the deformed article is properly returnable and worthy of its refundable deposit price. In such instances, the prior art cylindrical rotating rollers fail to adequately rotate the article in view of the identifying device because the narrow cylindrical rollers provide insufficient traction over dented and partially crushed articles. As a result, the article must be manually removed from the apparatus and taken to the merchant for manual processing, thereby consuming valuable time and defeating the benefits of the reverse vending apparatus.